1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical connector and, more particularly, to a shorting bar for an electrical connector.
2. Brief Description of Prior Developments
Electrical connectors having shorting members are well known in the art. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,276,953 and 6,234,814 disclose electrical connectors having various shorting member configurations. The shorting members are configured to contact male electrical contacts of the electrical connector until the connector is mated with a female electrical connector. Electrical connectors having shorting members may be used in various applications, such as automobile air bag safety systems for example. The shorting members help prevent the air bag system from inadvertent actuation when the mating electrical connectors are disconnected from each other.
The use of air bags in automobiles has significantly increased in recent years. Additionally, more and more automobiles have multiple air bag safety systems. Accordingly, there is a need to provide improved connectors comprising shorting members having a robust configuration and increased reliability. Also, these electrical connectors are becoming increasingly small. Therefore, there is a need to provide an electrical connector having a shorting member, but without significantly increasing the size of the connector. Additionally, there is a continued desire to reduce the manufacturing costs for these connectors.